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Nigerian forces have repelled simultaneous attacks by armed groups on military bases in Borno State, resulting in unspecified soldier casualties. The assaults, among the fiercest this year, reflect the escalating violence from Boko Haram and ISIS affiliates in the region, which has faced a 17-year insurgency.
Africa-Press. Nigerian forces announced that they repelled simultaneous attacks by armed groups on two military bases in Borno State, resulting in an unspecified number of soldier casualties, in some of the fiercest clashes seen in the northeast this year.
Borno, the center of a 17-year-long insurgency in Nigeria, is experiencing an escalation of attacks from Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa (ISIS) against both military and civilian targets.
The coordinated assaults targeted the towns of Pulka, near the border with Cameroon, and Mandaragirau in southern Borno, both of which have been long-standing fronts in the fight against armed militants.
The military stated that the failure of the attacks highlights increasing pressure on the militants. President Donald Trump had ordered airstrikes against targets linked to armed groups in northwest Nigeria in December, indicating that more U.S. military operations could follow.
Military spokesperson Sani Uba reported that ISIS in West Africa launched a multi-pronged attack using armed trucks and motorcycles in Mandaragirau, but soldiers, anticipating the assault, repelled them with heavy gunfire and prevented any breach.
Uba added that some soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force were killed in the operation, and several wounded were airlifted for treatment, without providing further details.
In the second attack, Boko Haram and ISIS fighters stormed a military site in Pulka late Saturday, briefly breaching the perimeter and destroying living quarters and some equipment. Uba explained that the troops held their positions and, with the help of reinforcements, managed to drive back the militants.
The military reported that no soldiers were harmed in the Pulka attack, but reliable intelligence from the battlefield indicated that the insurgents suffered heavy losses, including the death of a prominent leader, Abu Aisha, from a gunshot wound to the neck.
Borno State has been the epicenter of a long-standing insurgency led by Boko Haram since 2009, which has resulted in significant loss of life and displacement. The conflict has evolved with the emergence of ISIS affiliates in West Africa, complicating the security landscape and prompting international military responses, including airstrikes by the U.S. in support of Nigerian forces.
